Home. Introduction History SOAF 55FST RAF FSTs Accommodation Clinical
Timeline. Comment Photographs Documents Sources Links Site Index Update Log
The Saga of the Desert Boots

We asked for suitable footware in April………

 

PRIORITY       ROUTINE   26  0855Z  MAY
FROM            55 FST
TO                UKLF

 RESTRICTED

 CONNECT YOUR MDJ  23 1000Z MAY AND MDJ 23 1400Z MAY PD SOME CONFUSION EXISTS OVER AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE SIGNALS PD COULD POSITION PLEASE BE CLARIFIED AS MAJORITY OF 55 FST ARE NOW RESPLENDENT IN FLIP FLOPS PD WEARING OF DMS BOOTS IN THIS UNIT IS NEITHER DESIRABLE NOR PRACTICAL PD SIGNED JOHNSTON//

 

PP RBQPSE
ZMY RRRRR
P R 23 1000Z MAY

FM                UKLF
TO                RBQPSB/55 FST SALALAH
RBQPSB/RAFDET SALALAH
RBDTVV/2 FDHOSP
INFO             RBDTTE/COD BICESTER

 RT

 RESTRICTED

 FM MDJ

SUBJECT DESERT BOOTS PD OVERSEAS DHTS THIS HQ AGREE TO YOUR REQUEST FOR ISSUE OF DESERT BOOTS TO 55 FST PERS ON A SCALE OF ONE PAIR PER INDIVIDUAL PD DETAILS OF NUMBER BY SIZES REQD SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THIS HQ PD FOR RAF DET PD COULD YOU ARRANGE LOAN ISSUE OF ITEMS REQD PD COD BICESTER WILL ISSUE REPLACEMENT ITEMS TO YOU ON RECEIPT OF DETAILS OF LOAN ISSUE FROM THIS HQ PD FOR 2 FD HOSP PD YOU ARE TO ENSURE FUTURE PERS DETACHED TO 55 FST ARE ISSUED WITH ITEMS CONCERNED PRIOR TO THEIR DEPLOYMENT

BT

 P

 P 08 0830Z JUN
FM                UKLF
TO                COD BICESTER
                    RAFDET SALALAH

INFO             55 FST SALALAH
BT

RESTRICTED

DIG MDJ

SUBJECT PD DESERT BOOTS PD QMAINT HQLF HAVE AUTHORISED THE ISSUE OF SUBJECT ITEM TO 55 FST PD QUNATITIES OF ITEMS BY SIZES TO BE ISSUED BY COD BICESTER ARE AS FOLLOWS PD ALFA SIZE 10 QUANTITY 1 PAIR BRAVO SIZE 9 QTY 3 PRS C SIZE 81/2 QTY 2 PRS D XXXX SIZE 8 QTY 3 PAIRS E SIZE 7 QTY 1 PR F SIZE 61/2 QTY 1 PAIR G SIZE 6 QTY 1 PD STORES TO BE CONSIGNED TO RAFDET SALALAH PD AUTHORITY FOR ISSUE OF STORES IS QMAINT HQUKLF DATED 07 JUN 72 PD FOR RAFDET PD YOU ARE TO RETAIN SUBJECT ITEMS IF LOAN ISSUE REQUESTED IN OUR MDJ 231000Z MAY HAS BEEN ACTIONED

BT

TOR 090900Z

TOD 10/0400Z

 

For the record desert boots would have been entirely inappropriate in our work environment. Blood and gunge cannot be removed from desert boots. Flip flops were ideal - blood and gunge can be sluiced off.

Outside the perimeter of the FST desert boots were ideal and probably essential where healthy feet were concerned. It is a matter of censure that 2 Fd Hospital had neglected to establish the needs of the FSTs passing through their hands onwards to Salalah. It made what was already a difficult situation just that bit more difficult.